


Buffy The Vampire Slayer

by sappho3010



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Ambi - Freeform, F/F, Human/Vampire Relationship, Kippen Siblings, Kippen Twins, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Past Amber/Jonah, Protective Amber, Protectiveness, T. J. Kippen & Amber Are Siblings, Tyrus - Freeform, Vampire Hunters, Vampire Slayer(s), Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2019-06-28 23:48:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15717579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sappho3010/pseuds/sappho3010
Summary: Cyrus Goodman is an odd little human indeed, and yet for some reason TJ Kippen feels drawn to him with an overwhelming desire to protect him.  If only Cyrus’s best friend, Buffy Driscoll, wasn’t trying to kill TJ.





	1. Swing Life Away

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! Just a couple notes. 
> 
> First of all, yes, I know that the premise of this fic is really weird, so bear with me. 
> 
> Also, I️ just want to give a little disclaimer. Despite the title of the work, this does not contain any characters from Buffy The Vampire Slayer nor does it exist in the universe of said show. I've actually never seen it so if it does have any similarities then that's kinda trippy.

Though TJ couldn’t quite put his finger on it, there was something about Cyrus, and it wasn’t just the scent of his blood - as sweet and intoxicating as it was - it was something else. 

He was just walking around, not hunting or going anywhere in particular, but simply trying to get his mind off of pretty much everything. He used his enhanced senses to listen to his surroundings, taking note of the small voice singing mixed with the creaking noise of the chains that held the swings to the larger structure. Even though his original intent was to have some alone time, he decided to go toward the sound, until he arrived to see the adorable human swinging back and forth while singing about said activity. He had seen him before a couple of times around the school they both attended, but the two had never shared any meaningful interactions.

He gently leaned against the structure and announced his presence by saying the words “nice song”. 

Stunned, Cyrus stopped swinging and turned to look at TJ, their eyes meeting. 

“What do you sing when you’re on the slide?” TJ inquired facetiously. 

Despite the hint of sarcasm, Cyrus proceeded to actually sing his song for the slide, earning a smirk from the vampire. 

“Huh, did not expect you to have a song for that,” TJ remarked. 

Having half expected the other to poke fun at him and being pleasantly surprised, Cyrus began to relax his previously tensed muscles as a slight smile spread across his face. 

“I’m TJ, by the way,” TJ stated, letting go of the swing set. 

“Cyrus,” Cyrus replied, smiling and pointing his thumb towards himself. 

TJ nodding and began to once again scan his surroundings. He then crossed behind Cyrus, Cyrus’s eyes carefully following him as he did so. 

“So, do you hang out here a lot?” TJ asked, grabbing hold of the swing next to the one Cyrus sat on. 

“Only when I’m feeling bad about myself, so fairly often,” the human confessed. 

TJ gave a slight nod. 

“Hm,” he said, “does it help?” 

To this, Cyrus shrugged and raised his eyebrows slightly. 

“Helps me,” he said, “go on, you look like you need it.” 

TJ proceeded to take the advice he had been given and sit on the swing. He wrapped his fingers around the chain and began swinging his legs back and forth in order to propel himself higher. 

As he felt the wind around him and enjoyed the simple pleasure of swinging, he felt a little bit more at ease. A wide smile spread across his face as he continued swinging, realizing that Cyrus was right. He chuckled slightly. 

“Wow, this does kinda make me feel better,” TJ said. 

“What do you need to feel better about?” Cyrus asked, surprised. 

TJ shook his head and let out a sigh. There was just so much that Cyrus couldn’t possibly understand. 

Instead of choosing to reveal himself in that moment, he simply said, “you don’t know me. I️ got stuff.” 

“Stuff” was most certainly one way to put it. 

“Betcha I️ got more stuff,” Cyrus replied. 

Rather than delving deeper into the subject, TJ decided to direct their conversation to a more lighthearted place. 

“Yeah? Betcha I️ can swing higher,” he teased. 

Cyrus became slightly uneasy at this comment. 

“I’m afraid to swing high,” he stammered, “that’s part of my stuff.” 

TJ then began making exaggerated sounds to indicate how much fun he was having, hoping to persuade Cyrus to swing a little out of his comfort zone. 

“I don’t know why I️ ever stopped swinging! C’mon, get up here!” TJ encouraged. 

“This is as ‘up’ as I️ go,” Cyrus replied. 

TJ then proceeded to jump off of the swings and ran up behind Cyrus. He gave him a gentle push, forcing him to go higher. 

Cyrus then screamed in response to going higher than he had previously dared to. 

“Underdog!” TJ said as he ran underneath of Cyrus to stand in front of him. 

When we looked at Cyrus, he had a wide grin on his face. 

“That was exhilarating!” he exclaimed. 

TJ smiled. This odd little human really was adorable. 

“You want another one?” TJ suggested. 

“No, thank you,” Cyrus quickly replied. 

TJ titled his head to the side and pressed his lips together. 

“Hmmm, too bad,” he responded before proceeding to run up behind the other once again. 

It was long before Buffy approached and heard the Cyrus’ screams. 

“Cyrus, you okay?” she shouted. 

Hearing her voice, TJ jumped slightly and turned around. He immediately withdrew his hand from Cyrus’ back. 

“TJ?” Buffy exclaimed, beginning to run toward the pair. 

Cyrus turned around to assure TJ that it was okay and ask him to stay, but TJ was already long gone without a trace. 

Cyrus looked around trying to see if he could spot TJ, but he was nowhere to be found. 

When Buffy approached Cyrus, she placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” she asked, concerned. 

Cyrus furrowed his eyebrows and blinked rapidly in confusion before shaking his head. 

“No, of course not. Why would you think that?” Cyrus asked, very confused. 

Buffy sighed. She then looked around to ensure that there was no one within their immediate vicinity. 

Biting down on her bottom lip, she looked at Cyrus directly in the eyes. 

“I️ think he might be one of them,” Buffy whispered. 

Cyrus was still completely clueless and shook his head. 

“I️ don’t understand,” he said. 

Buffy closed her eyes for a moment and sighed before opening them once again. She looked around again, but this time rather than fully scanning their surroundings, she moved her gaze from left to right before centering back in on her friend. 

“A bloodsucker, Cyrus,” she whispered. 

Cyrus blinked. His eyes widened in surprise as he took a step back and began to shake his head in disbelief. 

“Are you sure?” he questioned timidly, not truly ready to hear the answer. 

Buffy shrugged. 

“Not entirely, but the way he just disappeared like that is more proof,” she explained. 

Cyrus appeared visibly shaken. He looked down at his shoes before facing his friend again. 

“And if he is? Then what?” Cyrus asked frantically. 

Buffy gently touched Cyrus’ arm in an attempt to calm him down. 

“It’s okay, calm down. I’ll handle it,” Buffy said. 

This didn’t work to ease his mind as Buffy didn’t entirely understand the situation. She thought that Cyrus was afraid of TJ, when, in reality, he was afraid for TJ, and now only time would tell what was going to happen to him.


	2. Dying to Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus seeks out the truth about TJ.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof hello. Surprise, surprise, I'm not dead! I know it's been a while and you may have thought I️ abandoned this story assuming you didn't just forget out it entirely. So, I'm really sorry about that, but I️ hope you enjoy!

Cyrus scanned the area once again to see if TJ was anywhere in sight. He had agreed to meet him in the park after school, but it seemed as if the other was a no show. Still, Cyrus decided to give him a few more minutes, hopeful that TJ was simply running late and hadn’t decided to stand him up. 

He then felt something like a gust of wind behind him, sending a chill throughout his body. He heard a voice behind him saying the word “hey” causing him to jump before turning around. 

“Sorry,” he said. “I️ didn’t mean to scare you.” 

Cyrus let out a sigh of relief. It was TJ. Finally. 

“Hey,” Cyrus responded sheepishly. 

TJ leaned against the tree that was beside them. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Cyrus who appeared uneasy. He tilted his head to the side before shrugging. 

“So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?” TJ finally inquired. 

Cyrus cleared his throat, began to fidget with his fingers. He looked at his feet before looking up again. 

“Oh, yeah, right, that,” Cyrus said, his speech choppy. 

He wasn’t exactly sure what to say. Although he had googled “how to subtly ask someone if they’re a vampire”, he didn’t find any results that he thought would be acceptable (and he looked through many search results). Still, he had to know the truth. Perhaps he didn’t know TJ all too well, but there was something about him. Cyrus at the very least knew that he didn’t want Buffy to kill him so there was that. 

TJ began tapping his foot waiting for Cyrus to continue. He felt slightly uneasy, picking up on the human’s rapid and nervous heartbeat. Cyrus took a deep breath. 

“Yesterday, when Buffy came up to us, you disappeared. Like, as in there one second and poof! Gone the next. What was that?” Cyrus asked, skipping subtleties entirely. 

TJ clenched his jaw. He could no longer look Cyrus in the eyes. He shrugged and shook his head. 

“I don’t know. Maybe you just didn’t see me leave,” he said. 

Cyrus’ gaze grew intense. 

“Then why can’t you look me in the eyes?” Cyrus asked softly. 

TJ then pushed up from the tree and turned his gaze to meet Cyrus’. 

For a moment, neither of them said anything. It was like they were stuck there, like they belonged just staring into each other’s eyes and really seeing one another. 

Unintentionally, TJ stole a glance at Cyrus’ lips before meeting his eyes once again. He then felt a twinge of embarrassment, hoping that Cyrus didn’t notice. 

Cyrus made the daring move of gently touching TJ’s arm. The vampire flinched slightly due to not anticipating it, but he didn’t move away. He stayed still. 

“I️ just want the truth, that’s all,” Cyrus said softly. 

TJ scoffed and shook his head. He wondered what this human could have possibly wanted. There was no conceivable way that he could have known what he was getting himself into. TJ found himself having to actively remind himself that Cyrus was just some random human. He wasn’t special. He wasn’t worth the risk. He wasn’t special, and yet TJ couldn’t help himself. 

“I️ could kill right now, you know, just for asking too much,” TJ said bitterly. 

Cyrus nodded and shrugged. He was a little bit too brave TJ’s taste. 

“You could,” Cyrus started, “but you won’t.” 

TJ rolled his eyes and looked away wistfully, shaking his head. In a way, it sort of felt good to have someone have faith in him like that, to see the good in him, but he knew that Cyrus was probably just being a bit naïve. 

“You don’t know that. You don’t know me,” TJ responded, attempting to shut Cyrus down. 

He did have a point. Cyrus hardly knew him. They were practically strangers, and yet there was just something about him. 

“You’re right,” Cyrus said. “I️ don’t, but I’d like to. That is, if you’ll let me.” 

In that moment, TJ cursed himself for being too weak to turn away his hopeful gaze. Instead, he smirked playfully. 

“Underdog’s got guts. I️ like that,” TJ said. 

Cyrus could only hope that the other didn’t notice him blushing as he felt a grin spread across his face. He had never seen himself as having “guts” and no one else really did, either. He couldn’t help but be a little bit excited at the prospect of someone seeing him differently for once. 

“So is that a yes?” Cyrus inquired. 

TJ noticed the way that his eyes lit up when he asked, noticed how someone was actually interested in getting to know him. 

“It’s a maybe,” TJ said. 

He knew that getting too close to him was a bad idea for about a million different reasons. He knew that he was already being reckless, but that was nothing new. 

Cyrus nodded and smiled. 

“I️ can work with maybe,” he said grinning. 

Instead of returning the smile, TJ’s expression became pensive. 

“You’re not afraid?” he said. Barely a question. More like a statement with the slightest hint of doubt; disbelief, almost awe. 

As actions speak far louder than words could ever dare, Cyrus simply took TJ’s hand in his. He wasn’t afraid. TJ closed his eyes for a brief moment and listened to the other’s steady heartbeat which reassured him before he opened his eyes once again. 

Suddenly, and much to Cyrus’s surprise, TJ removed his hand and took a step back. 

He appeared on edge before he began to speak, “if this is a setup-“ 

“It’s not,” Cyrus interrupted. “I️ promise.” 

TJ wanted to believe Cyrus. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to trust him despite having been warned of the consequences of being too trusting. The voices of his father and sister rang in his head like sirens. He should be more careful. He should be more- 

But then there was Cyrus. There was this human standing in front of him, approaching him without fear. His steady heartbeat revealed his honesty and TJ couldn’t ignore that. 

TJ shook his head. 

“I️ shouldn’t trust you,” he said, almost more to himself than to Cyrus. 

“You can-“ Cyrus started before being interrupted. 

“I️ said I️ shouldn’t trust you,” TJ started. “I️ never said I️ didn’t.” 

A look of surprise appeared on Cyrus’s face. 

“But if the slayer finds out about any of this-“ TJ started, slightly frantic once again. 

“She won’t,” Cyrus said in a soothing voice. 

TJ nodded as he exhaled and looked at his shaking hands before looking back into the human’s eyes. 

“You can trust me, TJ. I️ promise, you can trust me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, again, I'm sorry for making you wait so long for such a short and crappy chapter. I️ will try to make the next chapter longer, better, and I️ will also try and release it as soon as possible. Please be patient with me! Again, I️'m still not married to any particular plot so if you have any suggestions/things you'd like to see, let me know! I️ also take fanfic requests just fyi. If you're enjoying this story so far, then please leave kudos, comment, and subscribe so you can stay up to date!


	3. Eyes Closed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go awry for TJ when his sister finds out about his secret meetings with Cyrus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! Look at how quickly I️ updated! I️ hope you enjoy.

It wasn’t long before their secret meetings became a regular occurrence. Or, at least, TJ thought that the meetings were secret. However, he soon found out otherwise as he was stopped before reaching the door. 

“Where are you going?” Amber asked, eyeing him up and down almost as if sizing him up. 

TJ rolled his eyes. 

“Out,” he said nonchalantly. 

Amber grunted and rolled her eyes. 

“That’s not an answer. You’re going to see that little human again, aren’t you?” Amber accused. 

TJ shrugged with feigned innocence. 

“I️ don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just hanging out with some friends, that’s all,” he said. 

Amber shook her head. She knew him too well to actually believe him. She knew that something was going on. She widened her stance slightly and folded her arms to demonstrate that she wasn’t leaving until she knew the truth. 

“You like him, don’t you?” she speculated, her eyes piercing but her tone somewhat softer. 

This caused TJ to grow both defensive and flustered at the same time, both of which he attempted to mask unsuccessfully. 

“What? No, of course not. I️, I️ just, it’s not-“ he tried to explain, unable to actually form a coherent sentence. 

Amber raised an eyebrow in suspicion. She simply wasn’t buying it. 

“You know what? It’s none of your business anyway!” he snarled.

TJ attempted to go around her in order to exit, but she blocked the door each time he tried. 

“I’m your sister. Of course it’s my business,” she rebutted. 

He tried to exit one more time, but Amber was still too fast for him to have any success, which only served to further anger him. 

“Let me go,” he said, hands balling into fists at his sides. 

Amber tapped her foot and allowed her eyes to drift as if considering her brother’s request. 

“Hmmm…no,” she mused smugly. 

TJ’s eyes drifted downward, but when he looked back up again, they were glowing red. Amber’s lips parted slightly in shock. 

“Hey, TJ, calm down,” she cautioned, her tone switching to one of genuine concern. 

He did the exact opposite, clenching his jaw before opening his mouth to speak again. 

“I️ said get out of my way,” he fumed. 

Amber’s eyes widened as she noticed the presence of fangs when he spoke. 

She drew nearer cautiously, placing a hand of his shoulder. 

“TJ, calm down,” she said softly, her tone calm and even. 

TJ stepped back away from her touch, his fangs retracted and eyes turning back to their normal color. Still, he wouldn’t look at her. 

“Look, I know you hate it when I️ get on your case about this stuff, but I’m not doing it to be mean. I’m trying to protect you,” she said. 

He shook his head. 

“I️ don’t need protection!” he hissed. 

Amber folded her arms across her chest once again, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. 

“Really? Because if this conversation had been with anyone else you would’ve just exposed all of us,” she remarked. 

TJ clicked his tongue and shook his head as he really had nothing to say to that. Amber took this as an opportunity to continue lecturing. 

“That human boy is way too close to the hunter. You’re playing with fire!” she exclaimed. 

The worst part about it all was that there was a part of TJ that realized that his sister was right to an extent. He really was taking a big risk. However, what she didn’t understand was that Cyrus was worth the risk. 

“Andi is just as close to Buffy as Cyrus is!” TJ retorted. 

This riled up Amber even further. Her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed into an even more intense piercing gaze. 

“No. Don’t turn this around on me and don’t you dare bring Andi into this!” she seethed. 

TJ nodded pensively, drawing his eyebrows together. 

“I knew you liked her,” he uttered. “Look, if you let me go see Cyrus then this stays between us.” 

Amber groaned. She didn’t like the situation, but she was well aware of the fact that she didn’t exactly have a better option. And, so, she resigned to her brother’s deal. 

“Fine. But I️ just have to ask you one question, Teej,” she said softly. 

TJ nodded. 

“Is he really worth it?"

— 

“Hey,” TJ said, announcing his presence. 

Cyrus gasped and jumped slightly before turning around to see TJ and letting out a relieved sigh. 

“You have to stop sneaking up on me like that!” Cyrus said. 

TJ smirked and pouted slightly. 

“But it’s so fun,” he teased. 

Cyrus shook his head, but he couldn’t help but smile. He then couldn’t help but notice the other’s gaze drift slightly into the distance. Cyrus responded to this by turning in that direction, but quickly turned back when he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. 

“Hey,” he said softly, inching closer, “what’s going on?” 

TJ blinked and shook his head. 

“Uh, yeah, no, it’s nothing,” he assured not so convincingly. 

Cyrus raised his eyebrows in doubt. He gently touched TJ’s arm, causing TJ to look at Cyrus’s hand briefly before reestablishing eye contact. 

“It’s definitely something. C’mon, you know you can tell me,” he encouraged. 

TJ sighed. 

“My sister found out about this,” he paused, lingering on the fact that they had never really discussed exactly what “this” was. At that point he knew he had feelings for the human boy, but the last thing he ever wanted was to scare him away. “Anyway she’s not too happy about it and thinks that I️ should stop seeing you or whatever,” he continued, coming back to reality. 

TJ noticed Cyrus’s face. There was something sad there, almost like a hint of disappointment. With that, Cyrus allowed his hand to slide down TJ’s arm before grasping the other’s hand in his. TJ was slightly taken aback by this, but he didn’t move. He didn’t pull away. 

“And you? Do you agree with her?” Cyrus inquired pensively. 

TJ smiled and shook his head. 

“Of course not. I️ don’t think I’ve ever agreed with her on anything,” he said, earning a chuckle from Cyrus. 

A big grin crept upon TJ’s face. He loved making Cyrus laugh. 

“Besides,” he continued. “It just feels right.” 

Cyrus tilted his head to the side. 

“What feels right?” he asked. 

With his available hand, TJ gently caressed Cyrus’s face, stroking his cheek with his thumb. 

It was then that Cyrus let go of TJ’s hand. TJ allowed his hand to drop to his side as Cyrus shifted his weight onto his toes, stretching up to reach the other’s height. TJ could hear the human’s heart skip a beat when he pressed his lips against his. For a split second, TJ tensed up, but he then relaxed, leaning down into the other. 

When they broke contact, both pairs of eyes fluttered open. Cyrus took a slight step back in alarm when he looked into the vampire’s eyes and noticed that they were glowing red. 

“What’s wrong?” TJ asked, concern in his voice. 

Cyrus began fidgeting and looking at his hands, trying to find exactly how to say it or if he should even say anything to begin with. 

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. It’s just uh, your eyes,” he admitted, trying his best not to make TJ feel bad about it. 

He had clearly failed as TJ snapped his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb before turning away from him. 

“You shouldn’t’ve had to see that,” TJ faltered. 

Cyrus drew nearer to TJ, taking small, slow steps. He then tenderly placed his hand on TJ’s shoulder from behind. 

“It’s okay. You know I️’m okay with it,” Cyrus assured. 

TJ shook his head before turning back around to face Cyrus again, his eyes back to their normal color once again. 

“Amber’s right,” TJ began. “I️ need to be more careful, more in control. I️ shouldn’t’ve…I️ shouldn’t-“ 

“Hey,” Cyrus interrupted, his voice soft as he gently touched his hand to the other’s cheek. “It’s okay. You don’t have to hide, TJ. Please don’t hide from me.” 

TJ took a long exhale before nodding, still avoiding eye contact. 

“Can I️ see?” Cyrus asked, his voice wavering slightly. 

No, you can’t. Please, I️ don’t want to scare you. I️ can’t scare you away. 

But in spite of the nervous thoughts racing through his head, when he saw the curiosity in the other’s eyes he just couldn’t say no. His sister was right after all; this boy was his weakness.

TJ took a couple of deep breaths. He then stepped away from the other’s touch before closing his eyes. He balled his hands by his sides before releasing them and flexing his fingers by his side. He was clearly nervous. 

Finally, he relaxed his fingers and shook himself slightly before allowing his eyes to open, revealing the glowing red hue. He then allowed his lips to part slightly, revealing sharp fangs in place of his canines. 

Cyrus gasped. There was surprise mixed in with a hint of awe, but a surprising lack of fear. Cyrus really wasn’t scared. He then stepped into the space between them before standing on his toes to bestow a kiss on TJ’s cheek, causing him to smile. 

“You know, you make fangs look really adorable,” Cyrus teased. 

“Okay, I’m officially regretting this,” TJ said, retracting his fangs and letting his eyes go back to their grayish green color. 

“But, seriously,” Cyrus said. “Thanks for trusting me.” 

“Thanks for being someone I️ can trust,” TJ replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will I️ ever learn to not use way too much dialogue? Maybe. Probably not. Okay so I know that that was super cliché but oh well. I'm just a sappy sentimental sucker and I️ can't help it. Anyway, if you've been reading this you may or may not have noticed the changes in the tags. Basically, this is still a Tyrus centric fic and Tyrus will be the main couple. There will be some references to Ambi here and there but it'll exist more as a background/subplot. If you liked this chapter, then don't forget to leave kudos, comment, and subscribe to stay up to date with the story. Stay tuned, and I️ hope you enjoy!


	4. Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy and Jonah may know just a bit too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the long wait (again). I️ hope you enjoy.

Cyrus had never been particularly good at keeping secrets from his friends. It was especially difficult to keep himself from talking about TJ, all on top of keeping up the sneaking and the lying. It wasn’t that it wasn’t worth it, it was just that TJ was becoming an increasingly important part of his life so he wished that he could at the very least share this with his friends. 

This was especially apparent as he and his friends sat at their lunch table together in complete silence. 

“Okay, what’s going on?” Buffy finally asked. 

Andi and Cyrus looked at each other, then at Jonah, and then back at Buffy before both shrugging. 

Buffy sighed. 

“All three of you have been acting weird. And, Cyrus, you’ve been acting even weirder than normal. What’s going on?” she reiterated. 

“Nothing,” the three said at the same time, which did not serve to ease Buffy’s suspicion. 

Buffy raised an eyebrow. 

“You know what? I’m sorry I️ even asked,” Buffy mumbled, rolling her eyes and looking down at her food. 

It wasn’t long before the bell rang, signifying the end of lunch. 

Andi placed her bag on her shoulder and took her tray, followed by Cyrus doing the same. However, when Jonah got up to leave, Buffy called after him. 

Jonah looked puzzled as he took his seat again, facing Buffy. 

“Hey, sorry, I know this is weird, but can I️ ask you something?” Buffy asked. 

Jonah simply shrugged and nodded offering a short “sure”. 

Buffy exhaled. She then leaned in before quickly scanning the area to make sure no one was listening. 

“Listen, I know you and Amber dated for a little while, and I️ just wanted to ask if you ever noticed anything…strange about the Kippens,” Buffy said. 

Jonah’s eyes widened with slight panic, and Buffy took note of the way that his leg began to shake under the table. He swallowed before shaking his head, attempting to regain composure. 

“No, nothing strange,” Jonah answered unconvincingly. He had always been a terrible liar, and Buffy could clearly tell that he most definitely knew something. 

Buffy looked Jonah in the eye. 

“Jonah, are you sure?” she inquired softly. 

It wasn’t even subtle when Jonah looked away. 

“Listen, I️ really gotta get to class,” he said standing. “I’ll see you around.” 

Buffy folded her arms and exhaled. Something was up, but their interaction posed another question: what exactly did Jonah have to do with all of this? 

__ 

For the rest of the day, Jonah struggled to concentrate. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Buffy had said to him, especially as he felt he knew what was going on. 

He knew that Cyrus had been hanging around a vampire; he had caught the scent. He had never thought to pry, however, as he figured it was just none of his business. Sure, he had thought about warning Cyrus, but there was really no way of doing so without revealing secrets of his own. 

However, now that he knew it was TJ, he knew he had to do something. That was how he found himself waiting for Cyrus after the school day had ended and calling after him as soon as he caught sight of him. 

Cyrus turned around at the sound of his name and scanned the crowd of students before spotting Jonah. Jonah then gestured for Cyrus to come to him, and Cyrus obeyed. 

“What’s up?” Cyrus asked. 

Jonah looked around, making sure that Buffy wasn’t within earshot. He then spoke after establishing that the coast was clear. 

“We need to talk,” Jonah said, hating the words that were coming out of his mouth. 

“Can it wait? I️ sorta have a thing and-“ 

“TJ can wait,” Jonah interrupted. 

Cyrus’s eyes widened. He was completely taken aback. How did Jonah even know? Who else knew? Did Buffy know? 

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. 

“How did you-“ 

“-doesn’t matter,” Jonah cut off once again. “Listen, whatever is going on between you two…just, do you really know TJ?” 

Cyrus exhaled to prevent his breath from getting caught in his lungs. 

“Yes, I️ do,” Cyrus said in a tone that was more defensive than he had initially intended for it to be. 

Jonah nod. 

“Cy, I’ve dated a Kippen. I’m only looking out for you,” Jonah explained. 

Deep down, Cyrus knew that the other boy most likely had good intentions, but he couldn’t help feeling a little bit of anger toward him. First he had to keep what was going on between them a secret, and now the one person who knew couldn’t just be happy for him. Instead, he acted like TJ was some kind of threat, when he knew that TJ would never hurt him. Why couldn’t anyone else see that? 

“Look,” Jonah said. “I️-I️ didn’t mean it like that. There’s just some pretty serious…stuff with that family and I️ don’t want to see you get hurt. That’s all.” 

Cyrus furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. 

“TJ would never hurt me,” Cyrus snapped, growing increasingly defensive. 

“You don’t know that, okay? There are a lot of things you don’t know. There’s a whole other world that you get to choose not to be a part of. So, make the right choice,” Jonah said, raising his voice more than he meant to. While he never raised his voice too much, he still felt like he was screaming and Cyrus just wasn’t hearing a word that he was saying. He didn’t know how to explain it, but he just needed the other to believe him and to trust him.

Cyrus simply shook his head dismissively, making Jonah feel even more defeated. 

“I️ don’t have time for this,” Cyrus said, walking away from Jonah briskly. He even ignored the sound of the other calling after him. 

He was heading toward the meeting spot that he and TJ had established and at the same time trying to shake off Jonah’s words of warning. He didn’t need a warning.

TJ would never hurt him. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know that this chapter was very filler-y. Part of it was due to me just really wanting to get an update in but another part was because I️ wanted to begin to introduce a plot line related to Jonah (you probably caught onto that). If you're enjoying the story so far, please leave kudos! If you'd like to see more, then please comment and subscribe!


	5. Protect Your Neck, Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buffy finds out the truth about TJ and Amber.

“What’s this about?” Amber questioned dryly. 

“The recent vampire attack,” Jonah replied. 

Amber took a step back, shaking her head.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re not seriously accusing me, are you?” Amber asked, folding her arms across her chest defensively. 

Jonah sighed. 

“No, of course not, but either way, Buffy is going to start looking for the vampire responsible, and I️ think she’s on to you and your family,” he explained. 

Amber lowered her eyebrows over her narrowing eyes that were now glowing red, baring fangs in a snarl. 

“What did you tell her?” she hissed. 

Jonah’s eyes widened at the accusation, eyebrows raised. He put his hands out in front of him. 

“Nothing, I️ swear. When she asked I️ told her I️ didn’t know anything. You know that I️ would never do anything to put you in danger,” he assured. 

Amber sighed. Of course she knew that. She didn’t even know why she’d accused him in the first place. She took a deep breath, fangs retracting and eyes returning to their normal color. 

“I know, I️ know. I’m sorry. I’ve just been a little on edge lately,” she admitted. 

Jonah gave a slight smirk. 

“Yeah, I️ can see that,” he remarked. 

His expression then shifted, becoming more serious. He reached out and gently touched the other’s shoulder. He raised his eyebrows slightly, eyes widening as he made direct eye contact with her. 

“Is everything okay?” he asked. 

Amber drew in a long breath and exhaled audibly. Offering a half hearted smile, she nodded. 

“Yeah. It’s just everything going on with TJ and…” she trailed off, her eyes widening. She looked past Jonah rather than directly at him as if she’d spotted something alarming. 

Jonah whirled around to see what she was looking at, but, much to his surprise, he couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. He then looked back at Amber and to both sides of him. Still nothing. He shrugged, his brows pressed together in confusion. 

“What?” he asked. 

Amber shook her head, as if bringing herself back to reality. 

“TJ! I️ gotta go find TJ,” she explained. 

This sparked a slight look of panic on Jonah’s face, eyes wide with shock. 

“Do you think he’s the one who did it?” Jonah asked. 

“Of course not!” Amber exclaimed, offended by the fact that Jonah would even ask such a thing. “I️ know he’s innocent, but the Slayer doesn’t, and you just said that she suspects us. I️ need to find him before she does!” 

— 

When Amber spotted TJ, he was sitting next to Cyrus at the edge of the pond. Immediately, she came up behind them, tapping on TJ’s shoulder. 

TJ rose to his feet with an eye roll, already knowing exactly who it was. However, when he turned around, he was stunned by her worried expression. 

“Amber, what’s wrong?” he asked immediately. 

Amber shook her head vigorously, her blond hair swaying slightly with her motion. 

“No time to explain, Teej. We have to get out of here, now,” Amber informed, tugging at his arm. 

TJ cocked an eyebrow and shook his head. 

“Not until I know what’s going on,” he said, indicating toward Cyrus. 

Amber sighed. He wouldn’t leave unless he knew that Cyrus was going to be safe. 

“Your human will be fine, I️ promise,” she said, gesturing toward Cyrus. “He’s not the one you need to worry about right now.” 

TJ looked at Cyrus, who gave him a reassuring nod. 

“It’s okay. Go,” Cyrus said. 

“Stay right where you are!” a voice exclaimed. 

The three all simultaneously turned to the source of the sound, seeing Buffy armed with a crossbow. 

TJ put his hands up when Buffy aimed it toward him. 

Hardly moving, Buffy eyeballed Cyrus. 

“Get out of here, Cyrus,” she said. 

Cyrus shook his head. He then positioned himself so he was standing directly in front of TJ, right where Buffy was aiming. He knew he had nothing to be afraid of; Buffy would never dream of hurting him.

“I️ won’t let you hurt them!” Cyrus declared. 

With a resigned sigh, Buffy aimed her weapon down. She tilted her head slightly to the side, giving Cyrus a look of disappointment. He’d sided with them. He’d chosen vampires over one of his best friends. She then shook her head in disbelief as she scanned the tableau before her. Amber was glaring at her with piercing eyes, while Cyrus stood protectively in front of TJ. 

“You don’t get it, Cyrus. A girl was found dead, completely drained of blood. It’s what they do,” she explained. 

This time, it was Amber who spoke. 

“We’re not all like that!” she said. 

Buffy turned to look at Amber, eyeing her up and down as if sizing her up. 

“It’s not you I’m looking for,” she clarified. 

She then turned to look at TJ again, causing Amber to direct her gaze to him as well. 

“But as for you, I️’ve heard that you’ve had some trouble controlling yourself,” she said. 

Angered by this statement, TJ began to step around Cyrus, hissing and baring fangs. Cyrus responded to this by placing his arm out in front of TJ, stopping him from doing anything hasty. 

“TJ’s innocent! I️ did it!” Amber blurted. In an effort to protect her twin, the words sort of just slipped out, and now there was no turning back. All eyes went to her, and Buffy held her crossbow up, aiming it at Amber. 

Amber’s eyes widened, focusing on the weapon. She considered making a run for it, but she feared that any sudden movement at all would just cause Buffy to shoot. So, she stood there, stunned like a deer in the headlights. Slowly, she put her arms up, hoping to demonstrate that she meant no harm. 

TJ came up behind Cyrus again, leaning toward his ear and whispering the words “I’m sorry.” Cyrus didn’t even have time to process those words before he felt TJ’s arm snake around his chest, tightly restraining him. 

With his free hand, TJ tilted Cyrus’s head to the side, exposing his neck. 

“Let her go or I’ll kill him!” TJ growled, baring fangs. 

TJ could hear Cyrus’s heart pounding furiously; he was terrified. That killed TJ.

Buffy turned toward TJ. His irises were bright red and he flashed his fangs menacingly. She then looked at Cyrus, squirming slightly with a horrified expression on his face. She could hardly stand the sight of it all. 

“Let him go!” she shouted, feeling the tension rising and falling in her own chest. 

“Drop your weapon and little Cyrus here gets to live,” TJ snarled. 

The crossbow fell to the ground with a crash. Amber ran off first, but TJ didn’t leave without taking Buffy’s crossbow. Buffy cursed underneath her breath as the two left.

Cyrus exhaled. He didn’t even realize that he had been holding his breath prior. 

Buffy looked at Cyrus for a moment, the threat of tears looming over him. She then ran toward him, wrapping her arms around him and embracing him. 

“I’m so sorry. You were never supposed to be involved in any of this. I️ never meant to put you in danger,” she lamented. 

Cyrus nodded, still recovering from the previous events. 

Buffy held him tighter as she heard him sniffle. It wasn’t long before the tears began to fall from his eyes. Buffy then stroked his back, comforting. 

“It’s okay. Let it out,” she said. 

She was trying to be understanding, but she didn’t understand. Cyrus wasn’t crying about the vampire who threatened to kill him; he was crying about the boy he thought cared about they had as much as he did.


	6. Hold It Against Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TJ and Amber both attempt to process the events.

Amber locked the door behind them as the entered, peering out the window just to double check that they were alone. She gave a sigh of relief. 

When she turned around, she saw TJ absentmindedly swinging the crossbow around. 

“Be careful with that!” she scolded. 

TJ rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, whatever. What should I️ with it, anyway?” he asked. 

Amber shook her head and shrugged. 

“I don’t know. You shouldn’t’ve taken it in the first place,” she remarked. 

“Well, what was I️ supposed to do? Buffy almost killed you with this…” TJ said, his voice trailing off before his expression became almost entirely blank. 

He took a shaky breath. 

“You almost died,” he commented slowly, processing the weight of the situation. 

Amber gently placed a hand on TJ, removing the crossbow from his hand before discarding it and leaving it propped up against the wall. She then guided him into the living room, where the two of them sat down on the sofa. 

Amber faced TJ as well as she could in their side by side position while TJ still looked forward. Amber placed a hand on her brother’s shoulder. 

“It’s okay, Teej. I’m okay. And I️ really appreciate what you did for me back there,” Amber said. 

TJ shook his head. 

“I️ guess I️ panicked. Now, Cyrus is gonna hate me forever,” TJ faltered. 

Amber shook her head. 

“You don’t know that,” Amber consoled. 

TJ continued to stare off into the distance, remembering. He recalled the disconcerting sound of the other’s rapid heartbeat and the feeling of him trembling, but unable to escape. 

“Mom and Dad always told us that we have to be careful of humans and keep our secret because they’ll only ever see us as monsters. But Cyrus…he was different. But then for the first time today, he was scared of me. Now, he thinks I’m a monster too and I️ don’t blame him,” TJ explained. 

Amber didn’t quite know what to say. She could tell that her brother was hurt, but it also seemed as if there was nothing that she could say to really make anything better. She couldn’t say for sure that Cyrus would forgive him because she didn’t know that and she couldn’t tell TJ that he’d get over Cyrus because he wouldn’t believe her. 

“You’re not a monster, Teej. If Cyrus can’t see that then you don’t need him,” Amber said softly. 

TJ tensed, holding back tears before shaking his head pensively. 

“He was actually scared of me,” TJ reiterated. “He’s scared of me now, and maybe he should be." 

He felt like Amber didn’t get it. To him, it was like if someone like Cyrus liked him then he couldn’t be that bad. Alternatively, making Cyrus feel that kind of fear was enough to make him see himself as a real monster. 

The last thing that he ever wanted was to hurt Cyrus. He knew he would never forgive himself for it. So, when all was said and done, he didn’t know that he would ever be able to forgive himself. He didn’t know if he would ever stopped being haunted by the feeling of tense muscles underneath his tightening grip, the sound of shaky anxious breaths, or the racing heart rate that signified fear of being ripped apart by a supernatural beast. 

“Hey, it’s not like you wanted to hurt him,” Amber interjected. 

TJ felt his heart drop into his stomach; he felt sick. 

When he had been there, holding Cyrus captive like a predator trapping its prey and Cyrus was struggling, heart thumping like a scared deer with that blood rushing through his body, that sweet smelling blood, there may have been the smallest part of TJ that stole a glance or two at the side of his neck and wanted to bite him. 

Of course he would never do that to him, but there he was, close enough to the human to see the blood rushing through his jugular vein, so of course his mind went there. It was a small part of his mind, and he managed to snap himself out of it quickly, but it was enough for him to still feel absolutely repulsed by himself. 

Amber pressed her lips together and nodded. She had said the wrong thing. He didn’t tell her what was going through his head but he didn’t half to; she could tell by the look on his face. 

“What I️ meant was-“ she began. 

“No, don’t. It’s okay. I️ get it,” he interrupted, looking at his hands. 

Amber sighed. 

“You wanna know what I️ think?” Amber asked. 

TJ rolled his eyes before looking at his sister. 

“No, but I️ feel like you’re going to tell me anyway,” he replied. 

Amber rolled her eyes and playfully punched her brother (maybe a little harder than a playful punch, but not too hard anyway). 

She began to speak as TJ rubbed his shoulder. 

“I️ think that you’re an idiot. I️ think that you being with Cyrus in the first place was stupid, and that you almost got both of us killed in the process. But, I️ also think that you’d be an even bigger idiot for just giving up after everything,” she said. 

TJ raised his eyebrows. 

“Wow, always with the words of encouragement,” TJ said sarcastically. 

Amber grinned. 

“I know, right? I️ should be a life coach,” she said. 

“Hmmm, now would the physical and verbal abuse be included, or would that be a separate fee?” TJ teased. 

Amber rolled her eyes. 

“Oh, shut up,” she said, but at that point the two were both laughing, able to enjoy a lighthearted moment even in spite of everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short filler chapter, but I️ hope you still enjoyed it (also I️ updated in a week so don't be too mad at me)!


	7. I'm Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyrus confronts TJ about what happened.

Cyrus stopped swinging, holding onto the chains with his fingers. He looked around, scanning the area, but it still appeared as if he were alone. He sighed, rolling his eyes. 

“TJ, I know you’re there,” he called out. 

Silence, just another rush of leaves and gust of wind around him. 

He stood. 

“TJ, c’mon. I️ just wanna talk,” he said. 

Cyrus stumbled backward when TJ materialized in front of him in a flash. There was something off about TJ. Rather than taking a little bit of vindictive pleasure in startlingly the human, his eyes were intense and almost expressionless. More alarmingly, though, his eyes were bright red. 

When Cyrus regained his composure, he looked into the other’s eyes. 

“TJ?” he asked. 

TJ shrugged. 

“You wanted to talk, so here I️ am,” he said, his voice low and his mouth revealing extended fangs when he spoke. 

Cyrus was slightly taken aback by this. 

“Yeah…you haven’t answered any of my texts. I️ just wanted to talk about what happened,” the human explained. 

The vampire turned away, shaking his head. 

“There’s nothing to talk about,” he said. “I know you must hate me after everything.” 

Cyrus shook his head, moving in closer. Gently, he placed a hand on the other’s shoulder. It was a daring move, but he did it anyway. 

“I️ don’t hate you,” he uttered softly, but he knew that TJ could hear him. 

TJ whirled around, hissed. 

“Don’t you get it? I️ threatened to kill you! I’m capable of something like that because I’m a monster!” TJ shouted. 

Cyrus tensed. He clenched his jaw as he shook his head. 

“That’s not true. You were just trying to save your sister…” Cyrus faltered. 

“Don’t,” TJ said. “Don’t make excuses for me.” 

Then, something was off about TJ’s eyes once again. They’d returned to their normal color by then, but they were somewhere far away. 

“You were so scared. Of me. You were scared of me,” he said. 

“TJ…"

Cyrus took a step forward to comfort TJ, only to have the other flinch away from him. 

“Don’t. You don’t get it. You should be scared of me,” TJ continued. 

Cyrus shrugged. 

“Well that’s too bad, because I’m not. I️ know you’d never hurt me,” he said. 

TJ pressed his lips together tightly. He looked down toward the ground, unable to look into the human’s eyes any longer. He sighed. 

“You don’t know that,” he said quietly. 

Cyrus nodded. 

“I️ do,” he contradicted. 

With that, TJ looked Cyrus in the eye once again. The contact didn’t last long before TJ began to look past Cyrus again. 

“You don’t get it. In that moment I️…” he faltered. 

He took a breath. Cyrus should know the truth, but TJ could barely even get the words out. How could he? 

“A part of me wanted to bite you,” he confessed. 

Cyrus looked at TJ. His expression was unreadable, and the moments in between TJ putting those words out there and Cyrus responding felt like forever. 

“I don’t know exactly what was going through your mind then, but you didn’t hurt me and that’s what matters,” Cyrus finally said. 

TJ’s hands balled into fists at his sides. 

“I️ could have,” he said. 

“But you didn’t,” Cyrus stated. 

That time, when Cyrus stepped closer, TJ didn’t move. He was frozen as he watched the other. 

Cyrus then gently touched a hand to the vampire’s cheek, lovingly. 

“I’m a monster, Cyrus,” TJ whispered. 

Cyrus shook his head. 

He then leaned in closer until his lips met TJ’s, gentle and soft. Pure. Good. 

It wasn’t long before TJ pulled back, snapping his eyes shut. 

“I️ can’t…” he began. 

“It’s okay. Open your eyes,” Cyrus instructed. 

Reluctantly, TJ did this. His eyes were red again, but they weren’t cold and intense like before. Instead they were softer and gentler with an almost pleading quality to them. 

TJ shook his head. He was trying to tell Cyrus to stay away from him, but clearly it wasn’t working. 

“We can’t do this,” he reiterated. 

“Why not?” Cyrus asked. 

Then, Cyrus took a step back, eyeing TJ up and down. He clicked his tongue, coming to his own conclusion when the other didn’t respond. 

“You’ve asked me if I’m afraid of you, but I️ think that you’re the one who’s scared,” Cyrus said. 

TJ scoffed, shaking his head. His eyes narrowed as his gaze zeroed on the other boy. 

“Me? Scared? Of what? That’s ridiculous,” he dismissed. 

Cyrus took a moment, pondering a response. 

“Hmmm, maybe scared isn’t the right word. Insecure?” he teased. 

TJ’s eyes widened as he shook his head. 

“What? I️ am not insecure,” TJ scoffed. 

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. His expression then softened, but grew more serious at the same time. He moved toward the other, taking one of his hands in his. 

“You called yourself a monster,” Cyrus pointed out. 

TJ looked away from the other’s eyes. He had that kind of stare that made you wanna trust him. It was a look that could coax the truth out of anyone just by reassuring that everything was going to be okay, but everything wasn’t okay and TJ just didn’t feel like being honest. 

“That’s different,” TJ muttered. 

Cyrus shook his head. 

“It’s not. I️ wanna be there for you, but I️ can’t if you don’t let me,” Cyrus said. 

“That’s the thing,” TJ said. “I️ don’t want you to be here for me. You should run the other way.” 

With Cyrus’s free hand, he touched the other’s cheek. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said.

TJ shook his head, forcing away the tears that he felt coming. Humans come and go, he tried to remind himself. They come and go. 

With that, TJ jumped back suddenly. 

“Just stay away from me,” he snarled, fangs bared menacingly. 

Cyrus took a step forward. 

“No. You’re not scaring me away. It’s not gonna work.” 

At that, something broke in TJ. He didn’t know what it was, but there was no denying it when the first tear fell from his eye. He didn’t know what was wrong with him, but he didn’t move when the other rushed toward him. He didn’t resist the other’s embrace. He simply let himself be comforted.

“It’s okay, TJ. I’m here. I’m here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot? I don't know her. Okay, but on a serious note I️ am trying my best and hope you enjoyed it.


	8. Don't Walk Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After tensions rise between Buffy and Cyrus, Andi and Jonah attempt to help settle things between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof it's been a minute. Again. Sorry about that. I️ don't have a good excuse, but I️ still hope you enjoy the chapter even though I'm like the worst fanfic writer ever!

Buffy rolled her eyes. She folded her arms in front of her chest before eyeing Cyrus up and down. 

She then turned to her friend, Andi, who had brought her to that clearing obviously as a part of some sort of set up. 

“What is he doing here?” Buffy said, gesturing toward Cyrus. 

Andi lightly placed a hand on Buffy’s shoulder, looking into her eyes. 

“We need to talk,” she said. She then turned to face Cyrus and Jonah. “All of us.” 

Buffy raised an eyebrow and shook her head. She then looked directly at Cyrus. 

“I️ have nothing to say to him,” she said, almost looking through him rather than at him, and not even showing a little bit of mercy at his defeated expression. 

Cyrus sighed. 

“Jonah, Andi, I️ see what you two are trying to do, but it’s not going to work,” Cyrus said. 

“Besides, it doesn’t concern either of you. It’s between me and the backstabber,” she said, giving Cyrus a good side-eye. 

Andi looked down at her feet, balling her hands into fists at her sides. She took a deep breath and unravelled her hands before looking back up and meeting Buffy’s gaze directly. 

“Actually, it does concern me,” Andi admitted. 

Almost immediately, Cyrus stepped toward Andi, a hand out in front of him. 

“Andi, you don’t have to do this,” Cyrus warned. 

Andi shook her head before sighing. She offered Cyrus a slight smile, looking at him through cloudy eyes. 

“No, I️ do. It’s okay,” she said. 

She exhaled deeply before looking at Buffy again. 

“Buffy, Cyrus isn’t the only one who’s guilty of falling for a vamp,” Andi admitted. 

A look of shock and horror appeared on Buffy’s face. She shook her head in disbelief, taking a step back from all of them while keeping her gaze zeroed in on Andi. 

“No, not you too,” Buffy said. 

Andi took a step toward Buffy. 

“You have to understand that they’re not all monsters. Amber and I️-“ Andi began before being cut off. 

Buffy’s eyes widened in horror. 

“Amber? Seriously?” she said. 

Andi pressed her lips together and nodded, hands interlaced in front of her. 

Buffy shook her head, looking at Andi and then at Cyrus. 

“Wow. So both of you betrayed me,” she shrugged. 

Cyrus shook his head. 

“Me being with TJ has nothing to do with you!” Cyrus said sternly. 

Buffy clicked her tongue. 

“Really? So why did both of you feel the need to hide it from me, huh?” Buffy asked. 

“Because we knew what you would think. And, frankly, I️ was a little scared of what you might do,” Andi said, choking up ever so slightly. 

Buffy gasped and furrowed her brows. 

“Afraid of what I’d do? And you’ve never once been afraid of what your bloodsucking girlfriend might do to you?” Buffy asked. 

Andi stepped toward Buffy, getting right in her face. She pointed an index finger up, staring her down menacingly. 

“Don’t you dare talk about Amber like that,” Andi warned. 

Buffy raised her eyebrows. 

Jonah then came up to Andi from behind, gently taking her arm in his hand. 

“Hey, Andi, calm down,” Jonah whispered. 

Andi aggressively flinched away from Jonah’s touch. 

“Don’t tell me to calm down,” she seethed through gritted teeth. 

It wasn’t long before things escalated into a barely comprehensible screaming match between Andi, Buffy, and Cyrus, leaving Jonah to try and stop the whole thing. 

“Hey, guys, stop,” Jonah breathed. 

He felt his breaths becoming more and more shallow. He clutched his chest, feeling as if his lungs were no longer functioning. That awful feeling of drowning was back. The feeling of being far removed from everything and no longer being in control of his own body was back and he couldn’t make it stop. 

Cyrus’s eyes widened as he noticed the boy hyperventilating. 

“Jonah!” he exclaimed, before rushing to the other’s side. 

This caused the two girls to also put their arguing aside and come to Jonah’s side. 

Jonah turned around to face the other direction. At that, Cyrus placed his hands on the other’s shoulders. 

“Jonah, it’s okay. You’re going to be okay. Just take deep breaths,” he said. 

Jonah shook his head. 

“N-no. Go…run,” he managed to get out in between shallow breaths. He feared that his panic attack was escalating into something more, something he could never let his friends witness. 

“No, I’m staying right here with you. It’s okay. You’re going to be okay,” Cyrus assured. 

Jonah shook his head again. 

He tried to warn the others, but he couldn’t, it was becoming more and more difficult to speak. 

Eventually, he managed to turn around to face the others. 

The three gasped, seeing Jonah peering at them with eyes that had changed. Except, instead of glowing red like Amber’s and TJ’s, Jonah’s eyes had turned a yellowish hue. 

“Go!” he roared through now fanged teeth. He had a set on both the top and the bottom, and they were duller than vampire fangs, also appearing to large for his mouth. 

Slowly, Cyrus stepped back until he was in line with the others. At that, Jonah collapsed, violently convulsing on the ground. 

“Run!” Jonah shouted. 

Andi tapped on Cyrus’s shoulder, looking at the others for a split second and nodding. She then began to gesture for them to move away. 

“Come on. Go, go, go!” she said before beginning to run away. 

The other two did the same thing. 

Buffy was the first to make it out of the woods, but quickly found herself worried when she didn’t see her other two friends. 

“Andi! Cyrus!” she called out, but got no response. 

Just as she prepared herself to go back in, Andi came out, breathing heavily. 

She then looked around while still trying to catch her breath. 

“W…where’s…Cy…Cyrus?” she asked in between labored breaths. 

Buffy shook her head. 

“I’m going back in,” she said, before being stopped abruptly by Andi grabbing her arm. 

“No! You can’t,” she said. 

“I️ have to!” Buffy argued, but right after she said it, there Cyrus was, breathing even more heavily than Andi. 

Buffy then wrapped both Andi and Cyrus in her arms. 

“Thank God you’re both okay!” she exclaimed before letting go. 

Andi nodded. 

“We should probably keep moving,” Andi said. 

The other two nodded in agreement and they did just that. 

— 

It was a little later that evening that the three found themselves sitting on Andi’s porch steps as the sun set. 

Cyrus checked his phone once again before sighing. 

“Still nothing from Jonah?” Andi asked. 

Cyrus shook his head. 

“Nope. Either of you?” Cyrus asked. 

Both Andi and Buffy checked their phones simultaneously. 

“Nope,” Andi replied. 

“Me neither,” Buffy added. 

“Do you think he’s okay?” Cyrus asked. 

Andi placed a hand on Cyrus’s knee, causing Cyrus to turn to look at her. 

“I’m sure he’s fine,” she assured. 

Cyrus shrugged. 

“Should we go look for him?” he asked. 

“No, absolutely not. He could be dangerous. I’ll figure out how to deal with him,” Buffy replied. 

Abruptly, Andi stood up. 

“What do you mean ‘deal with him?’ This is Jonah we’re talking about!” Andi exclaimed. 

Buffy looked up at Andi. 

“Don’t you think I️ know that?” Buffy replied. 

Andi shook her head and shrugged. 

“I don’t know. Maybe show a little compassion for once then,” Andi retorted. 

With that, Buffy shot up. 

Cautiously, Cyrus got up as well. 

“Do you seriously think that this is easy for me? Any of this? I️ never wanted anything to do with vampires or god knows what else! I️ was born into it. I️ do what I️ do because I️ have to. I️ don’t enjoy any of it. I️ don’t want to make these hard choices. I️ don’t want to have to be strong all the time, but I️ do it so that you don’t have to. Maybe think about that,” Buffy said before walking down from the steps and beginning to storm off. 

“Buffy, wait!” Andi called instinctively. 

Cyrus put his arm out in front of Andi, stopping her from following Buffy. 

“Just give her her space,” he said softly, and the two of them watched their friend walk away from them, both wondering if they would ever be able to mend what’s been broken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so sorry once again that that update took a while. I️ just got to a place where I️ wasn't sure what I️ was doing/where I️ was going plot-wise. Like I️ had a general idea, but I️ didn't know exactly what I️ wanted to happen in this chapter for the longest time, just some more general character stuff. Again, super dialogue heavy and I'm sorry about that. In case you haven't noticed, I️ really just can't write for shit. If you actually did enjoy this chapter, then please let me know in the comments and leave kudos. Also, if you wanna continue with the story, don't forget to subscribe so you can stay up to date on the rare occasion that I️ actually do update.


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